Animal drinking devices



I United States Patent [1113,55Ufi6d [72] lnventor William E. Edstrom3,507,255 4/1970 Allen 119/725 pp No Waterford 53185 PrimaryExaminer-Hugh R. Chamblee ll Filed y 1969 Attorney Morsell & Morse [45]Patented Dec. 29, 1970 ABSTRACT: An animal-watering device including anupper [54] ANIMAL DRINKING DEVICES fitting and a tubular lower fittingwith a resilient, apertured diaphragm therebetween which pressurablybears on the top 10 Claims. 3 Drawing Figs.

surface of a valve head having a downwardly-extending stem U.S. adaptedto be pivoted laterally an animal [Q cause said f Cl Aolk 07/00 valvehead to cant on a resilient valve seat and simultaneously Field ofSearchdeflect said apertured diaphragm to allgw water to flow 75 therethroughand downwardly around said canted valve head to the animal, the tensioncreated by said resilient diaphragm [56] References cued causing saidvalve head to resume its sealing engagement with UNITED TATE PATENTS thevalve seat upon the release of said stem, surface tension 3,410,249 1H1968 Allen et al. ll9/72.5X causing water to be retained between saidvalve stem and tu- 3.476,088 l 1/1969 Smith 1 19/725 bular fitting toaid an animal in locating the water supply.

mummy ANIMAL DRINKING DEVICES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field ofthe Invention The present invention relates to watering devices foranimals, and particularly to a self-watering device for rodents such asmink, chinchillas, guinea pigs, rats, rabbits, and even poultry or otherfowl.

2. Description of the Prior Art In the past the conventional method ofsupplying drinking water to animals, and particularly to small animalssuch as mink and the like, was to merely fill open top containers ortroughs with water. Such containers must be periodically refilled, ofcourse, which necessitates costly labor, and, in addition, the water insuch open top troughs or containers becomes relatively dirty and evenunsanitary, which can lead to the spread of contagious diseases amongthe animals. Further, in those areas of the country wherein water is ata premium it is-important that means he provided to conserve water andeliminate its wasteful use.

With these considerations in mind, a number of enclosed self-wateringdevices for rodents and other small animals and fowl have been designedin recent years, but unfortunately, they have not proven entirelysatisfactory for their intended purposes.

For one thing, most of the self-watering devices presently available formink and other small animals are relatively complicated to operate,employing valve stems or the like which must be moved axially in orderto initiate the water flow, and it is difficult if not impossible forthe animals to learn to use such devices. In addition, the complexdesign and construction of most of said prior self-watering devicesrenders the same relatively expensive to manufacture, which makes theiruse prohibitive in many large-scale fur ranching operations. I

A further disadvantage of prior drinking devices utilizingaxially-movable valves is that the water pressure in the system must bemaintained relatively low in order to permit the animal or fowl to opensaid valve against the pressure of the water, and due to such lowpressure thereon any little particle that gets lodged under the 'valveseat is likely to cause leakage.

Examples of prior animal drinking devices of the general typeshereinabove described are disclosed in the following U.S. Pat. Nos.2,486,729; 2,845,046; 3,263,652; 3,215,119; 3,1 18,426; and 3,410,249.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention comprises a new andimproved selfwatering device for small animals which utilizes alaterallymovable stem and tiltable valve head that providessubstantially greater mechanical advantage than is obtained with theaxially-movable valve stems employed in conventional animal wateringdevices, thus permitting the use of a resilient diaphragm to provideincreased sealing pressure to reduce leakage while neverthelesspermitting the valve to be more easily opened by an animal than saidprior, axially-movable valve assemblies.

A further object of the invention is to provide an animal wateringdevice having a laterally-pivotal valve stem which is carried in adepending tubular housing having a lower end opening formed on a biasand especially designed for rodents and similar animals which by natureare prone to bite against the valve-actuating stem, in contrast to.prior animal watering valve devices wherein axially-movable valve stemsor actuating members are employed.

A further object is to provide a new and improved animal watering devicewhich is especially designed to utilize the water adhesion propertiesand surface tension of the interfitting valve stem and tubular stemhousing to retain water therebetween to facilitate the location of thewater by the animals.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a new andimproved self-watering device for animals which is simple and economicalin design and construction, said device being constructed entirely ofstandard parts and requiring no special castings or machining, therebyproviding a unit which can be manufactured for substantially less costthan the self-watering devices heretofore available.

Still further objects of the present invention are to provide animproved animal self-watering device which is rugged and durable inconstruction and requires a minimum of care and maintenance, and whichdevice is otherwise particularly well adapted for its intended purposes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the accompanying drawing, whereinthere is illustrated one complete embodiment of a preferred form of theinvention, and wherein the same reference numerals designate the sameparts in all of the views:

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of the improved animal wateringdevice in its closed, inoperative position;

FIG. 2 is a similar sectional view showing the device in its opencondition; and

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the sealing diaphragm utilized in theinvention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now more particularlyto the drawings, the novel self-watering device for animals comprisingthe present invention includes a generally tubular upper fitting orso-called valve cap 10 having an upright portion 11 with a bore 13extending therethrough. A plurality of downwardly-facing, barblikeannular protuberances 12 are formed on and around the exterior of saidupright portion 11. In the complete assembly a water hose (not shown)leading from a suitable supply of drinking water is wedgingly fittedover said tubular portion 11, and said annular protrusions 12 functionto securely maintain said hose in tight, leakproof engagement thereon.

The lower end of the valve cap 10 includes an enlarged base portion 14within which the bore 13 is enlarged and flared outwardly, as at 13.Said bore portion 13' communicates with a still larger bore 16 openingin the bottom of said valve cap and having threading 17 formed therein,there being an annular, downwardly-facing shoulder 15 formed betweensaid communicating bores 13' and 16. Preferably the interior shoulders,corners, and edges in the present unit are rounded slightly to eliminatesharp edges which might cut or damage the resilient sealing members, aswill be seen, although this is not a critical feature of the invention.

Threaded into said valve cap 10 in the present invention is a lowertubular member or fitting 21 having external threading 23, and having aflat upper end face 22 which is spaced somewhat below the aforementionedinternal shoulder 15 formed in the interior of said valve cap when saidlower member is fully inserted therein.

The lower end 24 of said tubular member 21 is beveled, as shown, andformed in and through said member is a vertical bore 25. The upper end26 of said bore 25 is enlarged, thereby forming an internal,upwardly-facing annular shoulder 27, and said bore 26 opens in the topof said member 21 in registration with the bore portion 13 of the valvecap thereabove, the latter bore being of somewhat larger diameter thansaid lower a member bore 26. Seated on the annular shoulder 27 andclosely fitted within the bore portion 26 of said member 21 is aresilient O-ring 28 formed of rubber or rubberlike material, thefunction of which is to provide a resilient valve seat as will behereinafter seen.

Mounted within the bore 25 in the lower fitting 21 is a valve memberincluding an elongated stem 29 which extends downwardly in said tubularfitting, as shown, and formed on the upper end of said valve stem is anenlarged, flat circular head 30 which normally seats in flat, sealingengagement on the aforementioned resilient O-ring 28, as illustrated inFIG. I. Said valve head 30 is of a smaller diameter than the enlargedbore portion 26. thereby providing an annular space therebetween.

Clampingly retained in the space between the top surface of the lowerfitting 21 and the annular shoulder thereabove is a resilient circulardiaphragm 33 which is of a diameter to closely fit within the bore 16,and which diaphragm includes a plurality of spaced apertures 34therethrough (FIG. 3) which are so located as to normally be positionedimmediately over the top surface 22 of said lower fitting, asillustrated in FIG. I. Said resilient diaphragm 33 is adapted to bestretched and deflected in response to tilting movement of the valvehead 30 during the operation of the present watering device to allowwater to pass therethrough, as will not be described, as well asfunctioning as a trainer to prevent large foreign particles frombecoming lodged between the valve head 30 and O-ring seat 28 and causingleakage therebetween.

In the use of the present invention drinking water from a tank,reservoir, or other suitable source ordinarily located from I to 10 feetabove the drinking device is supplied to the valve cap 10 by means of asuitable connecting hose or the like (not shown) telescopically mountedthereon. The diaphragm 33, which is clampingly retained between theshoulders 15, 22, prevents said water from finding its way downwardlybetween said threaded interfitting upper and lower fittings 10, 21.

Drinking units of the present type are generally used where the animalsare housed in individual cages, there being a unit clipped onto each ofthe cages and all of said drinking devices being supplied from the sametank or reservoir. Preferably the drinking unit will be clipped onto thecage in a position whereby only the bottom portion of the lower fitting,and the downwardly-extending valve stem, project into the cage.

With reference now to FIG. 2 of the drawing, when a mink or other animalwishes to obtain a drink of water it has merely to bite against thelower end of the valve stem 29, and the lateral pressure thus applied tosaid valve stem by the animal causes said stem to pivot sideways withinthe limits prescribed by the diameter of the bore 25, as illustrated,thereby canting or tilting the valve head 30 against the tension of theresilient diaphragm 33 (and the water pressure thereon) and causing atleast one of the diaphragm apertures, such as the aperture 34'. to beraised away from the top surface 22 of the lower fitting. The canting ofsaid valve head 30 is promoted by the resilient nature of the O-ringvalve seat 28, and as said valve head assumes an angled positionclearance is provided between the side of said O-ring opposite the pivotpoint and the underside of said valve head. Thus, as indicated by thedirectional arrows in said FIG. 2, the water carried in the upper member10 is enabled to flow downwardly through one or more of said diaphragmapertures, around and downwardly past the canted valve head 30, throughthe central opening in said O-ring 28, and downwardly through thevertical bore 25 in the lower fitting 21 to the mouth of the animal.

When the animal has quenched its thirst and releases the valve stem 29the resiliency of the diaphragm 33, together with the water pressurethereabove, returns said valve head to its original, sealing position onthe valve seat, thereby preventing further flow of water through thevalve and eliminating waste.

An important feature of the present device is that in the event thewater pressure in the system should be greater than normal thecompression on the resilient valve seat 28 is correspondingly increasedand when the valve stem is moved to open the valve the increasedspringback tendency or expansion of said O-ring on the side opposite thepivot point reduces the size of the opening through which the water canflow. Thus a relatively constant flow volume is obtained regardless ofthe water pressure in the system. This is in contrast to mostconventional self-watering devices wherein an opening or passageway ofconstant size is provided and wherein an increase in water pressureproduces a corresponding increase in the flow rate. With suchconventional valves, under increased water pressure conditions the watercan rush out and splatter the animal. which is very undesirable.

A further disadvantage of many of said prior animal-watering valves isthat they utilize a conical valve seat and it has been found thatsuction is created which frequently causes the valves to stick. In thepresent invention, on the other hand, there is no possibility of asuction cup effect between the valve head 30 and the O-ring valve seat28, and a comparable sticking problem is nonexistent.

As hereinabove mentioned, the present drinking device is especiallydesigned for animals of the rodent type. By nature such animals areprone to bite the valve-actuating mechanism, rather than to push ornudge the same, and for this reason the lateral stroke characterizingthe valve stem 29 in the present unit provides an actuating mechanismthat is much simpler for the animals to learn to manipulate than theaxially-movable valve units heretofore employed.

With the axially-movable valves utilized in prior animalwatering devicesthe required operating force is directly proportional to the waterpressure on the valve head since to open the valve it is necessary topush directly upwardly against the water pressure bearing on the entiresurface area of the said valve head. The result is that with suchconventional valve devices the water pressure in the system must bemaintained relatively low in order to allow the animal or fowl toactuate the valve. With such low sealing pressure on the valve assemblyit is relatively easy for small foreign particles to become lodged inthe valve seat and cause leakage. With the present invention, on theother hand, the diaphragm 33 maintains considerable pressure on theresilient valve components to provide tight engagement therebetweenregardless of the water pressure in the system and only particles orstones of substantial size can affect the leakproof seal thus provided,thereby minimizing the possibility of leakage or dripping.

A further important innovation incorporated in the present invention isthat the relative diameters of the valve stem 29 and surrounding bore 25of the lower fitting are such that due to the adhesion and surfacetension properties thereof a quantity of water will span and be retainedbetween said valve stem and the surrounding wall after the valve hasbeen closed, as designated by the numeral 20 in FIG. 1. In fact, due tothe angled design of the lower end of said tubular member and the factthat a portion thereof extends below the bottom of said valve stem, somewater will be present below said stem, as indicated at 20', thus makingit an easy matter for the animal or poultry to locate saidsurface-adhering water when seeking a drink. In its effort to obtain thewater the animal or fowl will naturally engage the valve stem and urgethe same laterally, thereby opening the valve. It has been found, infact, that with the present invention even the most slow-witted animalsare able to learn the valve-operating procedure in a short time, whichis not true of many of the push-type and other relatively complexself-watering devices heretofore available wherein the animal must learnto shift the actuating mechanism axially.

The angled, downwardly-extending nature of the tube lower end in thepresent structure is also important in watering devices for rodents andthe like in that it enables such animals to bite against the valve stemwhen they wish a drink, while detering them from playing with andindiscriminately actuating said valve stem.

Further advantages of the present invention are that in addition toeliminating the task of repeatedly filling individual containers withwater, which is time consuming and expensive particularly in large scalefur ranching operations, with the present completely enclosed drinkingunit the possibility of the water becoming dirty or contaminated iseliminated. Further, the wasteful use of water in areas where it is aprecious commodity is avoided. In addition, the present unit is formedentirely of standard parts and does not require any special expensivecastings or machining, thereby minimizing manufacturing costs, and it isa durable unit which does not require frequent repair or servicing.

It is to be understood that while one preferred embodiment of thepresent invention has been illustrated and described herein, numerousvariations or modifications therein may occur to those having skill inthis art and what is intended to be covered herein is not only theillustrated form of the invention, but also any and all modified formsthereof as may come within the spirit of said invention.

lclaim:

l. A drinking device for animals, comprising: an upper portion adaptedto contain drinking water; a communicating lower portion with adownwardly-extending tubular member having an open lower end; aresilient, deflectable apertured diaphragm interposed between said upperand lower portions; a valve seat located below said resilient diaphragm,said valve seat having an opening therethrough; a valve head adapted tosealingly engage on said valve seat and bearing against the underside ofsaid resilient diaphragm; and an elongated valve stem extendingdownwardly from said valve head through said lower tubular member to 'a'point adjacent the lower end thereof, said valve stem being pivotallaterally in response to engagement of its lower end portion by ananimal to cause said valve head to cant against the tension of saidresilient diaphragm and to thereby provide clearance between said valvehead and seat elements to permit water to flow from said upper portionthrough said apertured diaphragm, around and past said canted valve headthrough the opening in said valve seat. and downwardly through saidtubular member to the animal, the tension of said resilient diaphragmthereon causing said valve head to resume its sealing position on thevalve seat a and halting the flow of water upon release of the valvestem by the animal.

2. The device recited in claim 1 wherein said valve stem and vsurrounding tubular member are of predetermined relative diameterswhereby water. will span said members and be retained therebetween bysurface tension and adhesion after said valve has been closed tofacilitate the subsequent location of the water and actuation of thevalve by an animal.

3. The device recited in claim 2 wherein the lower, open .end of saidtubular member is formed on an angle and wherein saiddownwardly-extending valve stem terminates above the bottommost point ofsaid tubular member, whereby a portion of the water retained by surfacetension between said valve stem and tubular members extends below saidstem lower end to promote the location of said water by an animal, andwherein the angled and downwardly-extending nature of said tubularmember bottom portion deters the animal from playing with said valvestem lower end.

4. The device recited in claim 1 wherein said valve seat is in the formof a resilient and deflectable O-ring.

5. The device recited in claim 4 wherein said resilient O-ring valveseat is so designed that the water passageway provided thereby when saidvalve head is canted is inversely proportional to the water pressure onsaid valve seat to maintain a relatively constant water flow.

6. The device recited in claim 4 wherein said diaphragm is adapted toexert sufficient sealing pressure on said valve head and resilient valveseat to provide sealing engagement therebetween regardless of the waterpressure in the system.

7. The device recited in claim 6 wherein the sealing pressure exerted onsaid valve head by said diaphragm is sufficient to provide leakproofsealing engagement between said valve head and resilient seat despitethe presence of small foreign particles therebetween.

8. The device recited in claim 1 wherein said diaphragm is adapted tostrain out and prevent large foreign particles from becoming lodgedbetween said valve head and seat members.

9. The device recited in claim 1 wherein said upper and lower portionsare separable to permit the same to be disengaged to provide access tothe diaphragm and valve elements therein if necessary.

10. A self-watering device for animals, comprising: an upper fittingcontaining drinking water, there being an axial bore therethrough and abase with an enlarged bore portion forming a downwardly-facing annularinternal shoulder; a lower fitting threaded upwardly into said upperfitting having a top end face spaced immediate] below said upperfittingoannular shoulder and having a tubu ar lower portion, there eingan axial bore extending through said lower fitting with an enlargedportion opening in the upper end thereof and forming an upwardly-facing,annular valve seat shoulder; a resilient O- ring valve seat positionedon said shoulder; a resilient deflectable diaphragm mounted between thetop face of said lower fitting and the downwardly-facing annularshoulder in said upper fitting, said diaphragm having a plurality ofapertures therethrough; a valve mounted in said lower fitting includinga valve stem projecting downwardly to a point adjacent the lower end ofsaid fitting, and said valve including a head seated on said resilientO-ring and in engagement with the underside of said diaphragm, saidvalve stem lower, projecting end being pivotal laterally in response toengagement by an animal seeking a drink, such pivotal movement of thevalve stem lower end causing said valve head to cant against the tensionof said resilient diaphragm to permit water from said upper fitting toflow downwardly through one or more of said diaphragm apertures, aroundsaid canted valve head, through the opening in said O-ring, anddownwardly through the tubular lower fitting to the animal, theresiliency of said diaphragm together with the water pressure thereoncausing said valve head to return to its sealing position relative tosaid valve seat and halting the flow of water upon the release of thevalve stem lower end by the animal.

